TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WITH LITTLE PEOPLE

Here we have a chat about travelling with our three kids since Dec 2015! We've definitely learnt a lot and its been amazing for us all!

TRAVELling WITH KIDS

Travelling with kids at any age is exceptionally beneficial to them. It will increase their social skills, give them a love and appreciation of nature and most importantly you'll grow as a family.

Yes, being with your kids 24/7 can have its downside at times, but you will learn how to make this work and allocate time for yourself. Kids also need time to themselves so scheduling a down day is hugely important as they just cannot go go go!

Travel with your children comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges. It's a fantastic lifestyle for them and they thrive on the changing environments and meeting new people, especially other kids. From our time on the road we have seen some awesome changes in our little ones and we have hit many milestones. Our daughter began walking, we’ve nailed toilet training and began riding without training wheels. They’ve become little fish in the water and we find that it’s the best way to expel their energy while having an absolute blast!

Travelling has boosted their confidence, learning and social interaction, nothing beats watching their outgoing little personalities.

Tips

Let kids be kids

Unfortunately they do have tantrums, so just roll with it. They can also be extremely loud and obnoxious and you’ll find most people are very understanding as they’ve had kids of their own.

Pre cook meals

After a day of exploring theirs nothing easier than coming home and popping a nutritious dinner in the microwave. We often make up a big batch of food and freeze. It makes for a less stressful dinner and listening to those cries of, “I’m hungryyyyy”!!!

Plan your excursions

They can be hit or miss, sometimes they work and other times they’re a disaster. Doing some research will help you avoid that 5km round trip with your young children, ours sure didn’t cope with walking for that distance! It’s simply not possible to do everything while travelling with little ones.

Your home

We definitely recommend getting a caravan/camper trailer/tent to suit your family’s needs. For us, that required a full kitchen, separate toilet and shower and a washing machine. Trekking to and from the ablutions with your kids every night isn’t our idea of fun and you’ll soon wish you had a shower on board! It goes a long way to enjoying your trip and yes, it’s less stressful.

Planning the trip

Involve your kids in your itinerary, they love being involved in planning and talking about upcoming destinations.

Routine

Try and keep to routine as best you can, we have found this so important. No one likes an overtired and hungry kid.

We have been using these sleep clocks for our 3 kids and WOW, they work an absolute treat!! No more 5am wake ups, we feel normal again!! YAY.

Lastly, you won’t regret travelling with kids, the quality time you spend with them hugely outweighs the daily grind of 9-5 making money. You’ll become a tight knit family and watch their smiling faces while you explore. You will be amazed at how adaptable and resilient children are to travelling.

Enjoy!

If you get motion sick, don't get on this with your kids at the playground!!

TRAVELLING WITH A BABY!

Our daughter has spent most of her life travelling Oz in a caravan! Sometimes travelling can be a tough task with a baby. They need loads of attention and constant feeding. But, managing travel with your bub can also be really enjoyable and rewarding. The outdoors is their biggest playground and you will see their little personalities explode.

Wear them

All bubs love sleeping on mum/dad so my number 1 tip is to buy an excellent, comfortable baby carrier. We used an ergo, which our baby slept in til 20 months. She also slept soundly on my back when exploring. By far the best thing we have bought for convenience and stress free sleeps. It’s so important to stick to day time sleeps!

We've gone from an ergo to a Kathmandu now that she's grown.

Day sleeps

No one likes an overtired, cranky baby. They become restless through the night and ‘witching hour’ is just horrid!! Do whatever you can to enforce a day time sleep. You get a break and your baby wakes happy.

We use our baby carrier for sleeps if we are out and about. Alternatively a pram is ideal as your baby can sleep while you're exploring.

If you are set up for the day near your van, bubs can sleep soundly in their bed or portacot. We can go about our day and she sleeps through the ruckus of her noisy brothers. #itsathirdbabything

Go for a scenic drive

It’s been a Great way for our overtired baby to get to sleep, mum and dad get some quiet time and can view the sights, while your baby naps in their car seat.

Baby Monitor

I nearly wasn’t going to bring this! Thankful I did. It’s not a huge necessity, however it has definitely been handy. We have a Oricom video monitor. There's also some cool apps too! I love it purely for the temperature display. The van can get pretty cold some nights, so I can check this and pop our heater on if need be. It makes for a baby who sleeps through the night!!

We have also used it plenty of times when we have gone next door to socialise with other campers. We can lock the van, and I can take the monitor with me and know if she wakes. Happy days!

Routine

Stick to the routine you typically roll with at home. You’ll have a cruisy bub while on your travels and don’t forget to give it a few days. It's all new to them, so be prepared for some adjustment, including wakeful nights and a cranky baby. Power through. You'll soon be enjoying a well earned wine.

The more you travel with your baby the easier it becomes! Plus, your confidence to travel with them will grow.

I can honestly say that travelling with her from 6 months old has been hugely beneficial for our little girl.

FROM PALM COVE TO CAPE TRIBULATION. Some amazing scenery from our time in the beautiful Tropical North.